Pneumatic-despatch apparatus.



PATENQIFED JAN. s, 1907 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

P. R. TAISBY. PNEUMATIG' DBSPATGH APPARATUS.

I APPLICATION FILED MAY24, 1906 7 THE cams PETERS cc., wnsnnvu'mu, A

No. 840,880. PATENTEDJAN. 8, 1907.

,P. R.VTAISEY.

PNEUMATIC DESPATGH APPARATUS. APPLICATION 1711.31) MAY 24, 1906'.

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UNITED STATES "Aniir FFIGE.

FRED R. TAISEY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE LAMSON CONSOLIDATED STORE SERVICE COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHU- SETTS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PNEUIVlAT|O-DESPATCH APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 8, 1907.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRED R. TAISEY, of Indianapolis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Pneumatic-Despatch Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like figures refer to like parts.

The object of this invention is to provide an efficient and practical means in a pneumatic-despatch a paratus that is controlled by the varying engths of the carriers for causing the discharge of a carrier and permitting other carriers to pass. The means for causing the discharge of the carrier is a carrier-director mounted in an inclined position on the far side of the discharge-opening in the terminal and having means, such as a trip, on the near side of the discharge-opening for holding the director closed, said means being releasable by a carrier. ,g The full nature of this invention will be more fully understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of a pneumatic-despatch apparatus with two terminals. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the first terminal with a short car rier therein, the discharge of said carrier being shown by dotted lines. Fig. 3 is the same with the long carrier shown and with the parts in a position permitting the passage of said carrier on through said terminal, a former position of said parts being shown by dotted lines. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the upper end of the director and associated parts in normal position, part being broken away. Fig. 5 is a modified form of Fig. 2, but without a carrier therein, said modified form having a stop-trip about midway of the director. Fig. 6 is the same with two carriers therein, a long carrier following a short carrier, the discharge of the short carrier being shown by dotted lines. Fig. 7 is the same, showing the long carrier in position to pass on through the terminal, the further movement of the carrier being shown by dotted lines. Fig. 8 is the same as Fig. 6, showing two carriers, the long carrier passing on through the terminal and the short carrier being stopped.

The device shown in the drawings has a straight section 10 of the despatch-tube, followed by a semicircular section 11, that is attached to the first terminal 12, from which an outgoing portion 13' of the tube leads to another section 11 and a second terminal 14, from-which an outgoing tube 115 leads.

In the first terminal means is provided for discharging one carrierthe short one, 15.- and for permitting the other carrierthe long one, 16to pass on to the next terminal 14. The terminal 12 has on one side an inclined extension 17, through which there is a dis charge-opening for a carrier. This is closed by a leather valve or clapper 1S, hinged .or secured to the rear wall of the extension 17 and held closed by a spring 19. Within the discharge-opening a guide-plate 20 is pivoted by a pin 21 to the extension 17 near its rear end. This guide is free at its front end and rests loosely on the valve 18. Its inner surface when the valve is closed'is intended to be flush with the interior surface of the passage way through the terminal. The part 20 is a guide or track for the carrier as it passes over the valve. Without said guide 20 the carrier might by engagement with the director opposite be slightly turned sidewise, so that it would strike against the forward wall of the discharge-opening. The spring 19 shown is hardly needed, because the suction will hold the valve 18 normally closed.

There is a casing extension 25 on the terminal 12, lying diametrically opposite the discharge-opening and having within it a chamber for the location of a director 26 and the associated parts. This director 26 is pivoted by a pivot 27 within said casing 25, and a spring 28 tends to hold said director in the position shown in Fig. 2that is, the normal positionso that the forward curved ends of said director project into and across the passage-way of the terminal beyond or on the farther side of the discharge-opening. There is a stop 29 for limiting the closing movement of the director under the action of the spring 28.

The director is normally prevented from opening by a trip 30 that is pivoted on a pin in the casing 25, with its lower end projecting into the pathway of the carrier and its upper end lying in a notch under the shoulder 31 at one end of the director 26. A spring 32 forces the trip into engagement with the director 26. The lower end of the trip is curved in the'direction of the movement of the carrier through the passage-way, so that it will be engaged by the carrier and moved out of engagement with the director 26, whereby said director can be elevated out of the path of the carrier by the forward end of the carrier;.but the forward end of the carrier must engage the director while the rearend of the carrier is in engagement with the trip 30 and holding it out of engagement with the director, as shown in Fig. 2. Then, and only then, can the director be elevated to permit a carrier to pass on through the desp atchtube. Hence, as herein shown, only the longer carrier 16 can release the director and pass through the despatch-tube. The carrier 15 is so short that it releases the't'rip 30, so that the trip engages the director 26 and holds it rigidly closed before the forward end of the carrier 15 reaches the director, and therefore the inclined lower surface of the director defiects the carrier out through the discharge-opening, as shown in Fig. 2. A buffer 33 receives the free end of the director when it is thrown upward by the longer carrier, as shown in Fig.3. To prevent a second carrier from discharging with a preceding carrier, a latch is pivmally, as shown in Fig. 5, so that a carrier may then throw the trip 30. After the trip 30 has been moved by a passing carrier and the director being partially o erated, as shown in Fig. 6, the latch 40 wi 1 come into engagement with the lower notch of the trip '30 and stop the passage of a subsequent carrier until the parts are again in their normal position. The carriers herein shown are ordinary flat-headed carriers varying in length but I do not wish to be limited to carriers of any particular form. 1

The trip' 30 has upper and lower notches and 51 for the latch 40. Normally the latch is held above the strip so that it would not interfere with the movement of the-trip out of the way of a passing carrier unless the latch be lowered into locking engagement with the trip by some movement of the direc-' tor. As a relatively short carrier passes through the terminal it passes and releases the trip 30, so that its extreme upper end is thrown by its spring against the end of the director 20, as shown in-Fig. 4, and immediately under the shoulder 31. There is some play or space left between the upper end of the trip and the shoulder 31, so that the for- "ward end of said carrier engages thedirector to permit the latch 40 to'drop into the lower notch 51 of the trip and lock the trip so that no following carrier can pass through until the director resumes its normal position. On the other hand when a'relatively long carrier passes through it also operates the trip'30, so that the upper end of the tripis moved back under the latch and the rear end of the carrier does not release said trip until the forward end of the carrier has actuated or moved the director far enough to bring" the shoulder 31 down lower than the top end of the trip. Then when the trip is released'by the further movement of the carrier, it cannot move under the shoulder '31 but strikes against the rear surface of the shoulder 31, as shown in Figs. 3 and 8, -so it cannot lock the director, but permits it to open to the position shown in said figures, and such opening movement of the director permits'the latch to fall; but since the upper end of the trip bearsnow against the rear surface of the shoulder 31- the end of the latch drops into the upper notch 50 and locks the trip so that no following carrier can enter theterminal until said long carrier has passed on beyond theterminal and released the director and the parts resume their normal-positions.

.In the modified form shown in Figs. '5 to 8 a stop-trip 35 is added, it being pivoted at 36 on the director and toward its front end and is held-normally against a sto' 37 by a spring 38, so that the upper end of t e stop-trip will engage the lower end of the fixed stop 39, that is secured to the casing 35, if the director is moved upward. This stop-trip '35 when a short carrier is used locksand holds the director until the latch 40has engaged the trip 30 after the latter has been released by the short carrier, and so then thedirector is locked at its rear end and the stop-trip performs no further function and the short carrier is deflected out of the terminal; but the front end of a long carrier releases the stopand the carrier passes on beyond the terminal.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is--- 1. A terminal in a pneumatic-despat-ch apparatus having a discharge-opening, a director arranged in the passage-way through the terminal to deflect a carrier through said discharge-opening, and means mounted on the terminal for engaging and preventing said director from being opened and that is released by a suitable carrier.

2. A terminal in a pneumatic-despatch apparatus with a discharge-opening, carriers of varying lengths, a director projecting normally into the pathway of the carriers, and spring-held means mounted on the terminal with one end projecting into the pathway of the carriers and the other adapted to hold and lock said director in its normal position except when released by a carrier, said means being located sutliciently far from the forward end of the director that short carriers will release said trip in time for it to lock said director while long carriers will not release the trip in time to lock said director.

3. A terminal in a pneumatic-despatch apparatus with a discharge-opening, a pivoted director projecting into the passage-Way through said terminal, carriers varying .in length, and means for preventing said director from being opened that is located sufficiently in advance of said director so that said means will be released and the director moved simultaneously by a carrier of a certain length.

4. A terminal in a pneumatic-despatch apparatus with a discharge-opening, a director projecting into the passage-way through the terminal and pivoted between its ends, a trip pivoted between its ends with one end. projecting into the passage-way through the terminal and the other end normally engaging one end of said director, and carriers varying in length, one carrier being long enough to simultaneously release the trip and open the director.

A terminal in a pneumatic-despatch apparatus with a discharge-opening, a director projecting into the passage-way through the terminal and pivoted between its ends, a trip pivoted between its ends with one end proj ecting into the passage-way through the terminal and the other end normally engaging one end of said director, carriers varying in length, one carrier being long enough to simultaneously release the tri and open the director, and a latch controlled by said director for engaging said trip and holding it in a position to stop a succeeding carrier as long as said director is out of normal position.

6. A terminal in a pneumatic-despatch apparatus having a discharge-opening and a chamber opposite the discharge-opening, a director pivoted in said chamber and projecting into said passage-way through the terminal for deflecting a carrier through the discharge-opening, a stop-trip pivoted on said director and projecting into the passageway through the terminal, and a fixed stop in position to be engaged by said stop-trip when the director is moved unless the stoptrip has been previously actuated;

7. A terminal in a pneumatic-des patch apparatushaving a discharge-opening, and a chamber opposite the discharge-opening, a director projecting into the passage-way of the termmal for discharging a carrier, a fixed stop, and a stop-trip pivoted to the director in position to engage said fixed stop excepting when actuated by a suitable carrier.

8. A terminal in a pneumatic-despatch apparatus with a discharge-opening, a director projecting into the passage-way through the terminal and pivoted between its ends, a trip pivoted between its ends with one end proj ecting into the passage-way through the terminal and the other end normally engaging one end of said director, carriers varying in length, one carrier being long enough to simultaneously release the trip and open the director, a stop-trip pivoted to the director toward its deflecting end and projecting into the passage-way through the terminal, and a fixed stop in position to be engaged by said stop-trip when the director is moved unless the stop-trip has been previously actuated.

9. A terminal in a pneumatic-despatch apparatus having a discharge-opening and a chamber opposite the discharge-opening, a director pivoted in said chamber and projecting into said passage-way through the terminal for deflecting a carrier through the discharge-opening, a stop-trip pivoted on said director and projecting into the passage-way through the terminal and a fixed stop in position to be engaged by said trip when the director is moved unless the stop-trip has been previously actuated, and means controlled y said director for stopping a carrier when the director is moved from its normal position.

In witness whereof I have hereunto aflixed my signature in the presence of the witnesses herein named.

FRED R. TAISEY.

Witnesses:

HELEN B. MoCoRD, N. ALLEMONG. 

